Planet of the Apes Alternate Worlds: Volume II: Global Reach
by Bx1011
Summary: This is a sequel to Return to Planet of the Apes; Alternate Worlds. It takes place twenty five years after the end of the original story. It picks up (in more detail) with the last portion of the Epilogue, in chapter 49 of that story… Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Prelude: This is a sequel to**___**Return to Planet of the Apes; Alternate Worlds**__**. **_**It takes place twenty five years after the end of the original story. It picks up (in more detail) with the last portion of the Epilogue, in chapter 49 of that story… Enjoy! **

**Place****: The United Territorial Republic; - Arum** **City – Ocala Military Command - Ocala District. (Old world Ontario, Canada)**

**Time****: 0800 **

Jon Hayes hadn't slept in over thirty hours. He popped a couple of stimulants and downed it with some coffee on a mid-sized bench to his right. He'd spent most of the night mulling over a data spike he'd received eighteen hours earlier. He nodded at a few of the soldiers who were configuring and testing all of the audio-video equipment for the briefing that was about to commence. They respectfully bobbed back at him and instinctively picked up the pace. A young chimpanzee Corporal directing the group, comfortably from a chair, quickly jumped up. He suddenly took a more active role as he noticed the star on man's uniform. Within minutes they finished up and the ape Corporal hurried the small group out the room.

Shortly after, Governor Grazot and a few others entered the area and took their seats at the large conference table. Among them was the aged Doctor Brewster, who'd defected from the Imperiam Monarch during the last war, two and half decades earlier. He was now seventy four, but barely looked sixty. Most of his hair was still dark brown but it had receded quite a bit over the years. He was also a very fit and slim man for his age. That too added to the quasi-youthful illusion.

General Hayes welcomed the attendees, offered them some refreshments, and motioned towards Grazot to make his opening statement. Once the gorilla concluded, the real discussion took place.

"Gentlemen" Hayes declared. "This is amazing and I can see the urgency. All of you know Hank Brewster and should be quite familiar with his work. Anyone who isn't was probably in a coma for the last twenty years. His knowledge far exceeds anyone I've ever worked with. I asked him to look over the data, as well. I didn't fully trust my preliminary findings. However, Hank's verified and confirmed their authenticity. Evidently some kind of spacial rift has formed on the edge of our solar system."

"Ok," the man continued after sipping at his cup, "Initial scans show it to be very similar to the aperture Tom &amp; I came though, years ago. I've looked over the data, as you asked. Does someone want to fill me in on what it all means?"

One of the Council Senators rose to his feet and spoke first. "Europe is a third world wasteland. It's a miracle that anyone or anything even survives there. We all know what happened when we first began to scout beyond our borders and into the rest of the planet. It was disastrous. Our people were hit with chemical weapons and instantly killed. As a result we are now very isolationist. But I want you to look at what our spy satellites picked up. Computer, cascade surveillance footage to time index; June 3rd, 0200 hours plus thirty."

The images appeared in a 3D block in the center of the table. "Open Alpha three, grid two-seven-six, eight-eight-three and magnify." The ape ordered.

In an instant it all became clear to General Hayes. All the local news feeds were reporting that a satellite had fallen. But according to this footage it was now evident that it was a ship; A ship that shouldn't even exist. The Union Jack was clearly visible on the tail and it had distinct British markings on her wings. It looked much more militaristic, than exploratory. And the design was incredibly advanced.

"_HMS Vanguard_…" Hayes mumbled in amazement as he read the inscription on the side. The vessel was massive; at least three times the size of the ship he'd crash landed in only twenty seven years earlier.

He turned his head and looked over at Grazot with an inquisitive expression on his face. The gorilla nodded and said "There's more, Jon." Looking at the screen he added "Computer play full index, June 3rd, 0200 hours, UTR time."

It was like looking at an old science fiction film. The ship was on a decent course but appeared as if it had manually stabilized, instead of crashing. But that wasn't what amazed the General. At least two dozen simians advanced towards the ship on horseback and in old rusted out tracked vehicles. The ship began to glow slightly and then fired a high energy pulse. It cut down over half of the advance before they ever realized what hit them. Next, the pilot he assumed, a human male, exited the craft. Several of the remaining ape forces, leapt towards the man. Without effort he cut a chimp in two with something that looked like a sword. Rolling forward, he threw a second blade at a charging gorilla and split his skull in half. He quickly stood and reached for a pistol at his side. But just at that moment he was mobbed by the remaining ape forces. Then suddenly, the image faded.

"That's all we got" The Senator concluded. "The satellite moved out of range. But the point is, General Hayes, he sent out an SOS. That ship is in tact and armed to the teeth …and we believe it may have nuclear weapons."

"Can we back up a second, Senator?" Hayes asked. "That ship is from England. A country long gone. Further, I copied that VID to my e-pad. I've enhanced some of the footage. Whoever that man was, the patch he's wearing says; UKSF – SAS. That's _United Kingdom, Special Air Service_. Those are England's elite Special Forces. They don't exist in this time"

"Yes, we cross-referenced the makings with old relics in the historical archives. That's why we're here, General. From what we can tell that ship is basically from your time period…sixty years beyond the date you claim to be from. His SOS stated he departed on April 7th, 2045. That specifically correlates to your old calendar dating system. As does a ship from a country called, Great Brittan"

"But how?" Hayes asked. "The _Event_ I traveled through collapsed after Tom and I tried to escape back home. There's no wormhole up there. The Imperiam Science Section confirmed it years ago. The whole thing just collapsed in on itself".

"Evidently, there is now. This rupture in space showed up about a month ago; like a pin pricking its way through a piece of fabric and eventually ripping a hole in the material." The ape claimed "Now I've already read the report that Colonel March submitted years ago. I know the data shows that the tunnel or whatever you came through collapsed, but it looks like another may have opened. Let me get right to the point. You're the closest thing that man has to friends or family. We want to you to take a team and commandeer that ship. If you can't, you're to destroy it. Plain and simple"

"Plain and simple?" Hayes echoed back with a small, sarcastic laugh. "Why not just use the orbital missile network. We armed the ODN five years ago and have never fired a single bullet. I don't understand why you need people physically onsite to…"

Hayes stopped in mid sentence and then continued in an accusatory tone. Even at this age he was still just as direct as he'd been in his twenties. The man had become a little more polished, but his tact was just as lacking. "You want the ship, don't you? All that Imperiam technology that fell into our laps and it isn't enough. I saw those beams that thing fired. Even the Imperiam lacked that level of tactical sophistication. This isn't about anything other than a quick grab for power."

"It's not like that Jonny. Two days ago the Separatists hijacked three of our long range air craft. It was during an air show, when security was lax." Grazot explained. "They were older models and considered outdated. Besides, after the shellacking we gave them the last time they pulled something, the defense department thought it will be years before they tried anything else. But they had numerous spies who saw this Intel. And our spies report that they're already in Europe. We took out one of the crafts, but the others went stealth. We need to get to that ship before they do. As much as I hate to ask, Jon, are you up for one last mission?"

Hayes shook his head almost cynically. "One last mission?" he echoed rubbing his temples. "I'm going to ask this again. Why don't we just use the ODN? You can saturate the whole area and be done with it. Unless of course you really are just after that advanced technology."

Hayes exhaled and paused, adding one last comment. His impatience was surfacing as well as his frustration. Despite the STIMs he'd taken, he was still fatigued. "What's the problem here and why am I the only one who seems to get it?"

"You honestly don't have a bit of curiosity about that vessel, Jonny"? Brewster asked. "It's far superior to anything I've ever seen."

Deep inside his head, the thought of possessing that ship did intrigue him. It would certainly put a big hurt on the Separatists. War with them was inevitable. He'd argued for years that the Republic should strike first and simply eliminate the bastards once and for all. But the politicians, on the Senate Council in New Washington, didn't see them as a legitimate danger. They hadn't so much as sneezed their way, in the last fifteen years.

During their last major altercation, the Republic had merely, _rapped them on the nose_ and sent the survivors packing home with their tails between their legs. No counter strike ever came. No captured terrorist was ever shot. In fact, they were granted amnesty and set free. Times had been a little different then. The Republic was in its early years and people had seen enough war. But politics never seemed to change. It was the old, proven wrong philosophy of winning their hearts and minds. Now the Separatists were simply biding their time while they slowly grew stronger.

Hayes looked at Brewster and answered "Of course I'm curious, but I'm a realist too."

The vessel had another advantage. It would be a huge lift to the space effort. But obtaining it wasn't worth a trip around the world and a confrontation with those savages in old Europe. What good was having that craft, if he was dead? Hayes was too old for field duty. There were plenty of younger soldiers who could handle this. In his mind; he'd done his time and paid his dues. He turned his attention back to the Governor and again asked; "And why _me_ exactly? So he's from my era, or he claims to be anyway, big deal. Why does it make me so unique?"

"Two reasons, Jon" Grazot declared. "The first one being that the news reports aren't exactly wrong. We did lose a satellite. In fact we lost the whole network. That ship created a spacial wake. A small number of our communication orbital probes and two old defensive satellites vanished. They're simply gone. The ones that were unaffected are not responding to our authentication protocols. We're blind and helpless, at the moment. The New Washington Science Division believes the satellites themselves are damaged. They're assuming we'll need to launch another mission to make any repairs. We barely survived the last attempt"

Hayes filled in the gaps mentally. The initial ODN refit had taken a long time and huge effort to build, test, and execute. They'd exhausted every bit of fuel and special equipment they'd salvaged. People had died too, just as the Governor stated. At the time it was worth the exertion. The Separatists were now held at bay with absolute destruction dangling over their heads, despite all of the apathy New Washington displayed. The Republic was prepping for further space flights, but it wasn't a priority and they were trying to do it right this time. What was worse was the fact that they were years away from any practical mission.

The man scratched at the stubble on his cheek. He realized he hadn't shaved in two days. He brushed the thought aside and said. "Ok, I see the urgency. What's the second reason, then? ...And again, why me? I'm old, married, and due to retire in a few years?"

Grazot didn't answer. He spoke a few words to the computer interface and the SOS answered for him. "This was encrypted and on a distinct frequency but we cracked it anyway. Listen up Jon. The message is for you."

It was slightly gargled but clear enough to comprehend: SSSSsss … _This sssss issss Nich –sss- olas Alastair; Colonel, ... sssss … British Royal ssssArmy. I'm in command of the HMS Vang-ssss... We left port on April 7__th__, 2045. This is an automated SOS for Major Tom March and Captain Jon Hayes. The NATO Alliance received your CIS burst regarding: Stage Delta. I'm here on a search and rescue mission. We are to retrieve you and use whatever force is necessary to neutralize the ape threat; including a nuclear option. We've been propelled into the planet's gravitational draw. Sensors and navigation are off line… SSSS ….but the AI auto-piloting software is sssss …engaged. I've set the sssss sub sssspace beacon to transmit on 09917 by 3467 ssss …._

Governor Grazot stopped the SOS loop and looked over at the very man the message was intended for. As their eye's met he tilted his head, shrugged, and held up his open paws.

The entire expression and attitude of General Hayes changed as the cobwebs began to clear. _"_The CIS" he said soberly. "My gosh, is it even possible? The CIS interface was the _Dreadnaught's_ Combat Intelligence System. I had it send an automated message burst when we escaped Arum. It was right after we'd crashed and Colonel Johnson was killed …Just before we scuttled her in the Great Fish Pond. _Stage Delta_ was a mission mile-stone. We were to send the burst after we'd landed and assessed the ape's current strength and capabilities. That was almost thirty years ago. The communication attempt was last-ditch. I never even thought it would break out of the atmosphere. …Let alone reach _the barrier_ and actually make it back home. It must have taken years, but they got it. They actually got it"

"After what I've witnessed and read over the past two decades, nothing shocks me anymore. We're lucky" The Senator interjected getting back to the immediate situation. "We're blind, but more like in one eye. About 15% of our com-links still operate. The bad news is none of those birds are part of the ODN. And we're limited by range and atmospheric conditions on the ones that are still responding."

"General, your reputation precedes you." The Senator went on to say. "You're one of the Republics initial founders. You're modest praise of Dr. Brewster does not do you justice. You're quite brilliant yourself and a key player in this planets destiny. However, if you're still in doubt, let me show you the last piece of the puzzle"

The ape held out a packet and continued. "These pictures are not 3-D, but they'll fill in more of the cracks. Yes, there are younger, men and apes, just as capable of handling this. But it really is personal for you. And I stress _personal_. We captured these at the same time we were assessing the regional conditions and tracking the stolen ships"

Hayes stood, still half in shock over the SOS he'd just listened to. He approached the simian and took the square package from his paw. He quickly opened the large envelope. Being technical by nature, he recognized the equations accompanying the photograph of the elderly man. The phrase_: Facial recognition algorithms_, shot through his head. His eyes widened and he dropped the other papers while staring directly at the picture. He studied it and looked over to Grazot.

What he noted was almost as astonishing as a signal from thirty years ago reaching through time to over six hundred years in the past. He recognized the face after careful study. One final word came out of his mouth in the form of a question. "Tom"?

Grazot looked back and nodded his head, "Yes Jonny, from what we can tell he's alive."

**Separatist Capital – Ape City **

The Separatists were a mix of apes from the former Settled Territories, in old Canada and the southern Ape Territorial Nation within the long extinct United States. They'd resisted unification after the Imperiam war and utterly hated Homo Sapiens. To them, history hadn't lied and man had proven to be nothing more than a cancer. A tumor that needs to be cut out and destroyed. That idea was inclusive of the apes that also practiced blasphemy. Any simian who consorted with Satan's pawns were sacrilegious accomplices.

Oddly enough, none of the surviving Imperiam apes had joined their ranks. Though they were brutally vicious, the now dead Imperiam Monarch, had been a fully co-mingled society. Human / ape interaction was as natural for them as eating or breathing.

The group had migrated northeast and settled in the desolate lands of the once eastern USA. They'd cultivated, irrigated, and drive out the few mutated savages who occupied the local ruins. They'd worked hard and manufactured an impressive modern settlement. Their structures were powered, they'd built pluming, raised factories, homes, and even established a moderate supply trade with the Republic.

Fifteen years earlier over half of the faction invaded the UTR. They'd discovered an old weapons cash of preserved relics, from an era long ago. That had not gone well. The Republic stopped them dead in their tracks and slaughtered the invaders decisively. Hundreds had died. However, among the survivors was a young male orangutan, barely sixteen years old. He'd fought valiantly and came out a hero. That had cemented his reputation and destiny from that point on.

The now, thirty-something orangutan statesmen, lived in the east quarter of the city. He'd just departed a tall building and stepped onto the frozen walkway as he headed home. It was very cold for this time of the year. "Snow! In June of all things" he mumbled. The sudden flurry of snowfall and ice had almost brought the town to a halt.

He was still head-strong and full of ambition. His family had migrated with the other Separatists after the reconstruction following the Imperiam war. He'd been just an infant at that time, but like his now deceased father, he was a purist zealot, believing in total simian segregation and superiority. It wasn't a new idea but he held fast to it anyway: Humans were a blight on creation. If this so called, United Territorial Republic were allowed to grow and expand, it would only take a generation or two before the whole planet was a wasteland once again.

He'd only gotten a few paces before he heard someone calling out his name. "Zaius … Zaius" the young chimp panted as he caught up to the head of both the Ape National Assembly and the Ministry of Science. He nearly fell flat on his back as he trudged over the ice and snow and abruptly stopped in front of the ape.

"What in blazes is with you Galen"? Zaius shot back as he helped steady his friend. "Are you a hurry to break your neck or something?"

The chimp laughed slightly as he caught his breath. "No, I'm in no hurry to meet my maker anytime soon."

Galen blew some warm air into his paws and went on. "We just received an encrypted Data-Vid, from General Urko, Zaius. It's a bloody miracle, but our plan actually worked. He and one of the other crafts made it to the continent across the great sea. The vessel mentioned in the stolen Republic Intel is fully in tact. Urko's established an alliance with one of the local warlords. In exchange for technology that will tip power in his favor, the warlord is supplying enough support to give Urko an advantage. The General has promised to eliminate every rival in the area, if he can have the vessel, pilot &amp; its human crew. He'll leave the UTR vessels and all of the smuggled weaponry with the warlord when he leaves."

Zaius had been waiting for news from afar. He looked at his pocket-watch and said "Walk with me, my friend. Things seem to be going as planned with Urko. But we have our part to play too. We can't risk letting the UTR shoot that thing out of the sky. New Washington is too powerful for a frontal assault. But history has a way of filling in the gaps. I know exactly how to keep them occupied"


	2. Into the Unknown

**Place****: Unified Territorial Republic **

**Time****: Approximately Twenty years earlier **

The newly ratified Constitution had taken over two years to finalize. Following that was a four month effort to erect the infrastructure and hold the numerous elections of public representation. But when it was over, they'd firmly established a head of state, a Governmental Interior Assembly, and a Senate. The UTR was functioning but still in the early stages of life.

In essence, it was a traditional Republic that mirrored the old United States Constitution in the areas of: Separation of powers, elected representation based on regional population and a series of executive and legislative checks and balances. There was freedom to openly criticize those in power without fear of reprisal. There were also rights to peaceful assembly, freedom of religion, speech, and a free press.

But there were vast differences too. Only those who owned land or formally ran commerce were allowed to vote. No more than two tentative Chief Executives could run in the national election. They were titled: _Chief Minister of State _or _CM_, for short. The victor served a six year term, with no Vice Executive running at their side. In the case of premature death, the New Washington District Governor would assume temporary power until a formal election could be held. By law that had to take place within 90 days of the registered death.

There was also no provision allowing private citizens the right to own firearms. Formal power within the government was also more centralized. The territories were divided into Districts, like States or Provinces, with no individual District Constitutions in place. Though it had been debated strongly, each was subject to same national decrees at the centralized level. Federal law could be overturned but only by a super majority. The thought behind it was to establish a commonality among all primates.

Some of the old-school hardliners held a different philosophy on unification. These were humans and apes who wanted nothing to do with each other. Circumstance had forced them together, but they were completely against any long-term blending of the two species.

Shortly after the Imperiam war over five thousand human separatists, as they'd been dubbed, were slaughtered in a remote ambush by their ape counterparts. The simians had planned it out well. They'd patiently bated the men with false reports of potent relics in the old eastern section of North America. The humans walked into the old underground subway tunnels never knowing that the true remnants had been confiscated by the apes, weeks earlier. By the time they'd ventured down, it was too late. All that remained were the concealed explosives. They lined the passageway for a half mile. The men were buried alive when it all went up. After it was over, the human separatists were left leaderless, unorganized and their numbers dropped to less than a hundred. Their movement went to pieces and they eventually dissolved. Shortly after the genocide, several thousand separatist apes packed up and formally declared their independence and separation.

To make things worse the newly energized apes attempted a coup; and a failed one at that. Attacking New Washington had been a strong error in judgment. The city had spent years modernizing. The raid was smashed almost instantly. The existing Washington leadership hadn't taken the simian separatists seriously though. A few were hung, but most were simply stripped of their weaponry and forced outside the UTR borders. They had made a plea for segregation, but too many were sick of the bloodshed and their message got lost in the roots of food, shelter, and peace. The apes were dismissed as soon forgotten about.

That was years earlier. But as of today, a small number of Districts were still segregated by specie. Others, however, were quite integrated. None of it on purpose, of course, that's just how it was. Almost everywhere, their population was on the rise and settlements were cropping up. If this new nation were to ever evolve into something secure, there needed to be a feeling of union and oneness. Forcing integration was just as dangerous as forcing segregation. So the government stayed out of the way.

The other issue facing the UTR was with the growing emergence of technology. It was out pacing the nation at an exponential rate. Advances improving people's level of comfort, health, and lifestyle were in high demand. Resources were low, knowledge was limited to mostly former Imperiam specialists, but the desires for it were everywhere. Riots had been reported in the southern districts where black marketers or plain hucksters were manipulating circumstances, for profit. Refurbished junk was being peddled off as new tech or old uncovered relics.

Physical deaths had occurred, in other areas, due to reckless pursuit. Care-free entrepreneurs were experimenting everywhere. Even the new government was desperate. Refitting the Orbital Defense Network was a common goal, but achieving it seemed decades away. And on a more immediate level, if the peace was going to be kept, the national force could not fight advanced relics with sticks or stones. Thus, short-cuts were being taken to keep pace. The first experimental flight never left the ground. It skidded into a row of occupied structures and set, not only them ablaze, but the forest region beyond that. The disaster killed over a hundred and fifty citizens, but it put things in perspective.

The SCS, _Science Control Service_ was eventually established to, manage and organize, the out-of-control ingest of technology into government and society. The military, the education system, and the infrastructure were all put on an upgrade-timeline. Within five years the national infrastructure was fully automated. Power cells lit the streets and buildings. A modern transit system of both rail and mechanical vehicles were common place. Within the next year the UTR added aircraft …successful aircrafts… and thought it took years they eventually refit the Orbital Defense Network.

New Washington had been on the _path of enlightenment_ even before the Imperiam war. Once the old capital could be fully exploited, its resources and artifacts were put to complete use. Captured Imperiam technology also played a huge role in expediting progress.

It had taken less than a generation for technology to become fully integrated and common place. Today, it was almost beginning to be taken for granted. Even the Separatists, in Ape City, were on par with the UTR in several areas, although their numbers were a mere forty thousand. - Give or take a few thousand. - They also realized that bows and spears did little against mechanized vehicles.

So in less than half a century old North America had crawled out of its cave and managed to reach out and once again touch the stars. Peace and prosperity were on the rise but the basic problems with man, ape, and history seemed to still keep pace, despite these positive improvements. Ape City was a prime example. Their blatant hatred of humans was not hidden and they pushed the envelope where they could.

**Modern Day: ****Somewhere in old Europe **

The ambush hadn't gone as well as the attackers intended. The Separatist soldiers had identified the bio-signatures long before they ever reached the kill-zone. Urko and his apes had circled around and managed to take out most of the element with a couple of grenades. The skirmish lasted roughly three minutes. Those who'd escaped the small bombardment were few and unorganized. One or two ran off into the foliage and the few who remained were easy pickings.

General Urko hoisted up the last remaining chimp combatant with one arm. He jerked his wrist sharply and broke the ape's neck in an instant. He plucked the pistol from its grip and tossed the furry limp carcass aside. "Take what's valuable and leave the rest. Grab the food and weapons" He added.

"Barlow" The ape General called out to his senior officer, "How much longer until we arrive at their borders?"

Colonel Barlow reached into a pouch and pulled out an old worn paper map. He ran a finger across it as he mumbled to himself. A few second later he stated, "A good twenty five miles or so, Sir."

"It's just beyond that ridge out there" he motioned, tilting his head towards the landmark off in the distance. "But it looks like there's a main road and some sort of trading post about three miles to the east. We might be able to find some sort of transportation. We can't keep trudging through the brush like this. We've lost four soldiers already."

"Let's move east then." Urko said as he tucked the pistol in his belt and lit a cigar. "Those gunshots and grenades were enough to wake the dead and these bandits are everywhere."

They'd been betrayed. The tribal leader they were supposed to have connected with had pulled a double cross. Initially he'd taken most of their equipment and weapons, but Urko and his apes managed to break free. That was when they lost the first soldier. He'd leapt at one of the guards and caught a spear right in the heart. It had been enough for Urko and the others to move though. They'd had to fight their way out and it wasn't easy but he was able to recover enough equipment and flee. That's when two more were lost. Both shot right in the back. This Clan was simply too large and he wasn't sticking around for a rematch. Abandoning the aircraft they'd high jacked back in North America was a tough call, but compared to his life it was a small price to pay.

This particular Warlord was promised all of Urko's pre-apocalyptic armaments, if he'd help them track down the Clan that was holding the human and the ark that had dropped from the sky. But the orangutan Chieftain had other plans. He wanted both. Unfortunately, those same pre-apocalyptic weapons had put a hold on those and any other plans the tribal leader had, had in mind. Though Urko had lost soldiers …friends… at least he'd been able to put a bullet in their leader's head.

So now the General was improvising. He'd simply take his small unit and grab the human and the craft on his own. This backwater wasteland could rot for all he cared. The sooner he had that ship, the sooner he'd be returning back home.

**Pax City – Quadrant 3, Prison Section. **

The gorilla Captain was not showing any signs of anger. Yes, he was irate, but he'd coolly put it in check. Getting up at 2 am was becoming routine. How one weak, scrawny, stinking human could cause so much trouble was beyond the ape.

"Why Tagus won't let me execute you is a mystery. You're lucky that guard didn't die." The ape said briskly.

Colonel Nicholas Alastair didn't reply. He couldn't. This was his third unsuccessful attempt at escape and this time the apes had decided to send a message. They'd beat him nearly unconscious; orders or not. Tagus, the regions ranking warlord had other plans. This human was going to eventually break. And when he did, Tagus was going to have enough power to rule eight regions with an iron boot. Still, it would be a long journey. It had been a month and this man had endured all the suffering and starvation that had been thrown at him.

Not only that, but the human was almost an anomaly. Very few spoke. But he, not only talked, he was quite articulate in an eerie way. Definitely not from the northern wastelands where most of the men were vicious savages. And for a lower primate he displayed a moderate amount of strength.

He was a fine-looking animal for sure. Obviously well groomed by his original owner. The man was muscled, clean of disease, agile, and young but, no doubt, a freak of nature. In his first two escape attempts he'd actually overpowered the guards, using the apes own weight and mass against them. He flung them aside like an old shirt. It was uncanny to watch a pathetic animal subdue an ape twice its size. They'd shackled him, tied him, and even chained him. Nothing worked. This creature was like a spirit who could pass through walls. When he was cooperating, his routine was so unbalanced one could almost laugh. He was either stretching or jumping or dancing around waving his arms and feet about. It was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever witnessed.

_Humans_, Lahr thought as he reenacted the things in his head. _He must have been bread for entertainment or procreation. He'd make an ideal servant if he could be controlled._

And that didn't even scratch the surface of the real mystery. That ship. It was … well … an anomaly of its own. Where had it come from and who created it? That was the million dollar question. The Frem were moderately advanced and several, in that Clan, were human. But they had nothing like this. Nothing even close.

But the ape Captain had immediate problems to address and he'd reached his limit. Killing the human would certainly mean his own death. But there was no rule about sedating the man. If a beating didn't work, maybe a tranquilizer would. Hell, if he had to sit on him for the next six months he was almost willing to do that too.

Lahr grabbed Alastair by the arm and said. "If you try anything again, I will break both of your arms and both legs. I'm tired of being, rousted out of bed in the night, to deal with you"

He dropped the man to the hard ground and added, "Get him out of my sight and into his cell. Call in the physician and have him drugged".

Moments later Alastair was back in the dark, damp chamber he'd just left a few hours earlier. He could hardly role over but he managed to after several attempts. He spit the small object out of his mouth as the gears in his began to think of his next escape plan.

"Just a few more pieces and I'll be out of here for bloody good. And when I do Captain you'll see just what this _animal_ is really capable of" The British RAF officer mumbled.

Alastair rubbed his side as he thought things through. He was tough but this beating had broken a rib and his leg was throbbing fiercely. It would be some time before he'd be able to try anything further. He stashed the object away and fell asleep on the cold floor as the narcotic finally took effect.

**Just off the coast of Old Spain. 0304, local time**

The parachutes collapsed one after the other. A series of hand signals followed as the small unit removed any traces of their arrival and made ready to move forward.

They were all dressed in local garb. _Rags,_ was a better word, but from what the satellite intelligence had shown the land was savage and the inhabitants were basically peasants. Very few humans lived in the south, but there were some. So thought they may attract attention, hopefully it would not be suspicion. The apes were a little better dressed but it was still rags none the less. Several simians used humans as servants or pets and that was the ruse they were going for. Humans weren't liked but they were tolerated for the most part.

Despite their appearance the two men and the three apes were hardened UTR soldiers. And they were on a mission.

"General Hayes" one of them whispered. We're a good ten miles off the estimated landing zone"

Jon Hayes nodded and replied with; "Drop the military titles. We all use first names as we decided back in New Washington. Kutos, you and the others get that balloon up. If we do this right we can reach the area where Tom March was ID'd, by sunrise."

"Randall" he added. "Bury the chutes and get me a fix on the area. I want to make sure we're alone."

"Sure thing Jonny boy", Corporal Randall replied comfortably and in a normal tone. It was why Hayes had chosen him. He was a first rate soldier and a natural with things in general. The group couldn't afford any _Nervous-Nellies_. This mission was too critical.

Within fifteen minutes the balloon was up and they were ready to depart.


	3. Chapter 3: A Small Step Forward

**Place****: Unified Territorial Republic; Capital District - New Washington Northern Communication Command Center**

"The weather's still interfering with the VID-COM, Major" the communications specialist explained. "We haven't bounced a signal out that far in years. I'm trying to link to a satellite for a wireless boost, but since the loss of our existing birds, it isn't easy finding a hit."

"Well figure out a way to cut though that crap and locate one." The officer ordered. "They've been off line for six and a half hours. If they've failed we're going to have to launch the next group. We can't afford to allow the Separatists to get a foothold."

The craft that had carried Hayes and his soldiers was overdue. There was an enormous hurricane blocking their projected flight path. The crew had been forced to divert but the interference was also dissipating the communication links. UTR aircraft ran on a stand fuel, not so different than the way it had been hundreds of years earlier. The liquid was more potent and refined, but any attempts at adapting power cells overloaded the internal computers and was highly combustible when it finally 'popped'. And not a lot of effort had been put into resolving the issue either. The planes functioned just fine as is. And there was no air threat on the entire planet, so why bother.

But the airbus, in question, wasn't worried about fuel. They had enough to make the trip twice over. It was sturdy, but again like its counterpart in centuries past, it had its stress limits. The crew was doing what they could to deflect the turbulence. If they didn't, the hulking vessel would be ripped to pieces.

"I have an idea Sir." One of the junior officers on the floor stated. "All of the remaining surveillance satellites are being restricted by G-2, so they can monitor Ape city and their outer settlements. However most are tasked to the old European continent. Orbital object NR-772 will be in range in twenty two minutes, eighteen seconds. If we can get Ocala Command to comply and give us the rotating auth codes, we can patch that into the array and feed it to the displays we have here. We won't have visual but it will pick up any UTR BIO-COMs. We would, at the very least, know if General Hayes and his team landed."

The Major stared at the young chimpanzee officer and the more he thought about it the better he liked the idea. He and Phil Gregory, the new Ocala base commander, were old friends. Major Talbot had served under him while they were both stationed out in old Detroit, during the UTR's expansion and technological ingest … way, way back.

Talbot was only sixteen years old when he and what was left of his Imperiam unit had surrendered to the then, Human Coalition. At that time, _Private First Class_ Talbot was a technician and highly experienced on the workings of the Electro Magnetic Hyper Cannons. His insight into that and other captured technology had been invaluable to a much younger, First Lieutenant Phillip Gregory. They'd built a professional relationship that had evolved into friendship over the decades that followed.

Imperiam solders were under suspicion for years after the war. Their culture was one of service and their old laws were very much; all or nothing. Any combatant captured considered himself or herself to be legal _property,_ within the limits of their Imperial Code of Military justice. They would cooperate but were under no obligation to divulge military information. That had been hard for the captors to accept. But the Empire was also severely brutal and cruel. Talbot was a young, impressionable kid who'd lost everything. And in the Monarch he'd grown up in, he was a lowly serf. Gregory was more like a father figure than a superior back in those days. And in many ways escaping the yoke of lord Marcus had been a blessing for the boy.

After a quick VID call, Talbot had the necessary authentication codes. Minutes later he ordered the operators to configure the equipment. "Parallel our frequency patterns to match the rotating emission feeds coming out of Ocala. Run it through the automated interface on NR-772 and narrow the band to a standard scanning radius. See if you can locate General Hayes and his party. Triangulate that with any other NET traffic logging activity on the Old Spanish mainland. Overlay that on the 2-D display panel."

Adjustments were made, buttons were pushed and the internal imagers were aligned. Seconds later one of the communications specialist stated, "I have them Sir, approximately 18°N longitude and 77°W latitude. It's odd though. We don't have visual but I can determine depth. They're several meter's above the deck and appear to be descending rapidly. Too fast for any air drop too. They're bunched and appear to be free falling."

Seconds later he added. "Wait …I'm at a loss, Major. They're on the ground and appear to be alive. ….There are; one, two, three, four active BIOs. However one of them is dead."

"Stay locked on that spot as long as you can, and get me their exact location while we have the means to do so." Talbot ordered.

**O****ld Europe **

"We're too high and coming down too fast!" General Hayes claimed.

It was primitive, but the long thin wooden _missiles_ had done a number on the balloon. It had burst into pieces. Not only that, they'd lost Sergeant Orsk. One of the projectiles had speared his midsection and carried him over the edge, as he was trying to stabilize the balloon.

The weight of the crew and the equipment were doing the rest to help bring them down. The long basket was falling, and with a dizzying spin. What wasn't secure had been thrust into the dark unknown, along with Orsk.

The first thing Hayes had considered, when the planning staff suggested a balloon or glider as the best way to cover the terrain uninhibited, was being shot down and crashing to his death. He was now glad he'd thought it through and insisted on precautions being taken.

"Randall, you're closest. Grab the lever" Sergeant Major Kutos shouted as the momentum twisted him about. But Randall was dealing with an issue of his own. Though they were all strapped in, he was severely inhibited and flopping like a rag doll.

Major Raden had already taken note of that fact. He'd managed to get a boot off and steady himself. He extended his leg and with his simian _foot_, he grabbed the lever. He pulled back briskly and they all felt a sudden jolt.

In an instant the side latches popped, and expanded, as the hydraulics did the rest. A heavy-duty airbag deployed immediately. The group was uncomfortably shoved together. The object jerked and rustled and twisted all the more until the tiny chutes slowed their decent. Hayes hoped that a second volley was not on its way or they'd all surely die.

What was left of the apparatus hit the ground and rolled until it struck a tree and collapsed. The entire group was woozy, lightheaded and faint. Randall clumsily cut the straps holding him secure. He rotated over to a supported semi-prone position and vomited profusely. Hayes's right shoulder was strained from being jostled about but his mind was still on pace with the events. They were under assault and were now vulnerable.

"Try and clear your heads …I think I left my stomach fifty meters above me" Hayes said half coughing. "Kutos, secure our gear. Raden, see to Randall I'm going to…"

The kick, out of nowhere, connected hard to his face; Right where the flat of his nose was located. The distinct stinging sensation was followed by blurry white lights. Next, a sharp voice bellowed, "Don't any of you make a move or you're dead".

Several humans and a couple of apes were holding a combination of guns, crossbows and spears.

***** Thirty minutes later**

As the burlap bag was pulled off his head, Jon Hayes gulped in as much fresh air as he could. He was in a relatively modern structure. A paw on his shoulder forcefully shoved him, and the rest of his party, onto a cold cement bench. They were all shackled in iron chains with two additional armed gorillas on each side of the only door to the room.

Kutos whispered something about breaking free but the guard quickly quelled the conversation with a gruff "Shut up" and a stern jerk of the chain.

They sat for what seemed like hours. But eventually a human male, in his late fifties or early sixties, walked in. He was white headed with a beard that matched. He reminded Hayes of a muscular, not so jolly, Santa Claus. The man wore civilian looking attire but he was armed and clearly the one in charge. Every gorilla in the room came to attention as he entered.

"I'm going to have the guard unchain you." he stated. "If you get stupid and try anything heroic, you'll regret it. I can promise that. If you behave, I'll have some food and water brought in."

Hayes cocked his head in confusion and asked. "Do you always beat your _guests_ and then feed them?"

The man disregarded the comment and continued. "My name is Santos, Miguel Santos. I'm the commander of this region. And what I'm interested in is, _you_. Who are you and why were you attempting to infiltrate the Frem boarders?"

Major Raden put on his best poker face. He hoped that their limited intel would be enough to convince the man. He inhaled and replied with; "Why are we being treated like this? I'm Raden, formally Fifth Spear of the Clan Gult. However, I've since retired and decided to pursue a more, uh, profitable career. I'm a slave trader. My partners and I were traveling north, with our servants, in hopes of capturing some of the younger human savages. Our craft got caught in a wind gust and before we knew it we were lost …"

The last statement was actually true. The wind has pulled them off course. They were supposed to land several miles away and inconspicuously blend into the Frem society. Slave trading was a common practice with several of the regions and would have gone unnoticed.

"Save it, _Fifth Spear_." The man sarcastically stated.

"If you're in charge, why was he …" Santos continued, pointing at Hayes "…giving the orders when we brought you down? And I noticed how he was the first to speak up when I walked in. No human servant would dare to be that bold, unless he had a death wish."

The man stood and gave some orders to apes around him. "Escorted them to Level Three, put them in cells and see that they're fed. They're not to be mistreated, but if they try anything they're to be killed on the spot."

"We have all the time in the world, my friends. When you're ready to talk, let me know." he concluded as he walked out the door.

He hadn't gone far when his personal com device buzzed. Technology wasn't so rate but it was irregular and usually very old. Most progress had stagnated due to the Clans and warlords constantly battling. Leadership and power was continually shifting. The Frem were not as brutal and had more tech than most of the other seven regions.

"Santos here, what is it?" The man asked.

_It's Martinez Sir._ The radio device hummed back. _We recovered the body of the ape that died …or what was left of him anyway and we found their gear_.

"Ok" the man replied still not quite comprehending the reason for the personal message. "And? …"

'_And' … it's highly unique and highly advanced Sir. I've never seen anything like this. It's also brand new_. Martinez started bluntly. _But that's not the real interesting piece in all of this. Those people are from the United Territorial Republic. They have maps and a picture of the Colonel. They're from the old North American mainland_.

Santos stopped as the pieces to the puzzle fell into place. "Tom" he mumbled. Switching frequencies and keying his mic, he asked; "Eastern Light, this is Santos, Where is Colonel March?"

The eastern outpost replied almost immediately. _Eastern Light here_. _He's in the med-bay Commander. He insisted on going with the intelligence patrol. He twisted an ankle or something on the way back._

March was in his early to mid sixties and had no business going on a milk run, let alone a mission of this importance. He'd been told that time and time again too. He had a head for strategy but was still more of a liability than an advantage. Santos shook his head and said; "As soon as he's fit, he's to get his ass over here to the detention center. And I mean ASAP!"

The man didn't even wait for a reply. He cut the transmission and turned around, heading back to the group he'd just left.

**Pax City – Quadrant 5, Hours earlier. **

The apes were working around the clock. They'd tried to move the giant craft but had no success. They couldn't even get inside. So a wall was going up. It was nearly complete except for the section the vagabond had just slipped through. He stared up at the anomaly and felt a feeling that had long since been buried; Homesickness.

_My gosh it's true_, he thought, _those markings … Great Brittan. How?_

Before he could answer his own question, he was lifted off the ground and tossed into a pile of construction material. His leg slammed into the hardened steel rods and his old worn body dropped to the floor. The pain was a sobering reminder that he was not as young as he once was when he'd been marooned in this God forsaken land.

"A Human?" the orangutan said pulling out an old knife to gut the animal. Before he could act, a second figure appeared from the shadows. "Wait" he cried.

He hopped over the debris, between the human and the ape, and held up both paws "Wait, wait. He's very old and not well in the head. It's my fault. I turned my back and he wondered off. He's been in our service since before I was born" the young chimp claimed. "He's like one of the family. We haven't had the heart to put him down. He meant no harm"

"Ohhh …. Whatever!" The frustrated worker said sheathing his blade. "Well he isn't supposed to be here and neither are you. You're making enough noise to wake the dead. Now get out before we all get arrested …or worse."

The chimp smiled, thanked the ape, and helped the wounded Tom March to his feet. "Come on Coda. It's ok. I'm here". He stroked the man's head and hoisted him up. Shortly after that the two slipped away.

The construction ape shook his head. "..._One of the family_! Good grief!"

***** Several paces away**

"Colonel you're lucky to be alive" The ape leading the patrol said. "That was a dumb move, Tom …dumb!"

March nodded and jokingly replied with; "Well I am very old and not well in the head, you know"

"Yeah and after that stunt back there; I think I'm starting to believe it myself." The chimpanzee said shaking his head. "I owe you, Tom and I respect your insight. It's been invaluable to me more than once. That's why I allowed you to come along. But I gave strict instructions that you were to remain back. You're too old to be playing warrior. And you're human. That alone can get you killed out here. We've just lost our advantage"

"Really?" March replied, a little more straight faced. "Marco, did you capture the layout on the video cam?"

Marco winked in one eye and answered with; "I did indeed. While you were playing rag doll with that ape, I scanned the entire interior of that compound; Guard emplacements, pictures of the craft, the surrounding terrain. I got it all."

March slapped the young Chimp who'd saved him on the shoulder and thanked him for the quick rescue. He then looked at the others in their small group and said; "Come on we need to get back home before first light".

"By all means, Colonel", the young chimp answered sarcastically. "Don't let the fact that I'm in command stop you from giving us all orders!" _sigh_ "…Come on, let's get move on it"

**Ape City**

The video com erupted in the office of Dr. Zaius. The orangutan had been anxiously waiting for the call. "Display" he stated brusquely. The colored static vibrated and the image of a chimpanzee appeared.

"Hello my friend. I trust you had a good trip" the doctor inquired.

"Uneventful for sure." The chimp replied. "I am grateful they've finally completed the roads between Ape City and the UTR. Well, the trade routes anyway"

The small talk went on for a few minutes longer while Zaius pushed a few buttons. Thirty seconds later he stated; "We're secure Galen. Our transmission is being cloaked. What have you found?"

"It's a little slow going." Galen confirmed. "They have the compound severely fortified. It almost takes an act of God Himself to get inside. But I'm making headway. I think I've swung a job with one of the off shift maintenance crews. It's the only civilian entity that can enter the base"

Galen had been in new Washington for weeks. He'd kept a very low profile and had paced himself carefully. No need to draw any undue attention, he'd thought. He wasn't the zealot his old friend Zaius was, but the ape valued his culture and position and had never much contemplated politics. To him, his way of life was just, _how it should be. _

However times had changed. Galen had originally studied archeology. But over time his fascination towards technology had grown. What even intrigued him more was that man was once the sole ruler of the planet. Man was weak. Man was destructive …or that's what he'd been taught. How could one so inferior achieve so much? Man's brilliance astonished the ape. Hunks of steel that could fly or float in the water - Devices that could analyze and calculate multifaceted equations in milliseconds - And even medicines that actually cured diseases. Thus, Galen had shifted from studying culture and history to; computers, VID tech, holo imaging, and just about anything else he could get his hands on.

As a prank he'd hacked into the local traffic network and reset every light relay. As he approached an intersection he was able to manipulate it so he'd hit all of the through signals with ease. He'd also jammed the local law enforcement VID-COMS so he could speed away in fun. That stunt cost him sixty days in jail and a hefty fine, but it had also caught the eye of Zaius. The Minister of Science had Galen released and ever since then he'd been working on a way to hack the UTR main computers. To Galen, it was a fun thrill. To Zaius it was a means to an end. Technology was the life blood of the UTR. Disrupt that and they'd be like chickens running about without heads.

"Time is critical, my friend but be smart." Zaius replied. "Urko is weeks over due and we need that intelligence. We have no way of knowing if he's dead, captured, or on schedule. X-Ray One-One has already reported of an airbus that sent a small squad to intercept our units."

"Yes, I heard that too. I think if I can reach the inner network stations I can set up a temporary holo link. With that I should be able to piggyback off the latest intel. Security in that section should be minimal. It's so far inward that they'd never expect anyone to get that close. I'll check in again at the regular time, Galen out".


	4. New Alliances

**Old Europe – Rubella Trading Post. Region 5 of the Clan Gult**

"I asked where you got it." The gruff looking ape repeated to Urko. The gorilla had been aggravating the group ever since they'd stepped in. Urko and the others simply stood out too much. Their attire and equipment were drawing unwanted attention. The ape leaned in towards the table where the General and his party were sitting and got uncomfortably close. He puffed on the old cigar he had and blew out a thick mist of stale tobacco smoke. Next he slammed his paw down on the unusual rifle he was inquiring about in an attempt to simply take it.

Urko didn't bother to reiterate his last warning. His patience was gone. He simply grabbed the gigantic gorilla by the back of his head and shoved his skull into the hard wooden base of the table. The boards on the edge cracked and the whole piece of furniture toppled onto its side. He followed that with a boot to the gorilla's head. But it barely phased the beast. The average gorilla was immensely large, regardless, but this one was a considerable lumbering hulk. He looked seasoned and this was obviously not the first time he'd been in a scrape. He was scarred and slightly disfigured on his left side. And parts of his fur were missing.

He grabbed Urko's ankle with one paw, halting the next attempted stomp. After that he drove his fist into the General's thigh with a crushing thud. Urko buckled and before he could react, a chair came crashing down on his back. That was followed by the sole of a boot shoving him to one side.

"Heh, heh!" the simian chucked, as he tossed what was left of the chair aside. "Not so tough, are you? I haven't had this much amusement since those escaped humans tried to steal one of my trucks. But at least you're putting up a good…" – he never finished the sentence.

Urko clenched his rifle, by the hand-guard assembly around the barrel, and swung it like a professional baseball player. The corbanite plating on the butt-stock of the weapon connected with apes already bleeding snout. Without hesitation, the General rotated the weapon, this time, thrusting it into his gut. He staggered backwards but didn't drop. However, he was quite dazed. Next to Tri-tanium, corbanite was the strongest material on the North American continent; or any continent, for that matter.

_You have got to be kidding me_, Urko thought huffing as if he'd just run a marathon. Anyone else would have been flat on the floor. _What is this guy made of; concrete? I've had enough! _

The ape elevated the weapon and fired the disruptor attached to the standard barrel. It was cloned tech from the old American M-16 AX1s that had been unearthed two decades earlier. The Separatists only had a handful, as the Tech was complicated, difficult to recreate, and very expensive, but Urko and everyone in his party carried one. He'd seen to that personally.

But the party wasn't over …

Two of the attacker's partners had already jumped into the fray, to join in the 'fun'. One grabbed a Separatist regular and flung him into the wall. He raised both paws in a balled fist and brought them down hard. The young soldier moved just in time, as the barrier behind him shattered. The second aggressor wasn't as lucky. Colonel Barlow plucked the ape out of the air and slammed him face first into the rusted iron post on his left. He then tossed him into the other and they both knocked over a second table.

The remaining Separatists rose to their feet. But everyone stopped when a shot gun blast suddenly went off. That was followed by the sound of several other weapons being drawn; spears, crossbows, a few pistols, an old shoddy rifle or two, and an assortment of primitive blunted weapons.

Tuskan, the gigantic ape who started it all, was shaking off the effects of the disruptor. His semi inebriated state made him almost immune to it and just about any other source of pain. He turned his attention to the chimp with the shotgun and completely lost interest in Urko. He wiped some blood off his mouth with his dirty, ragged sleeve and shouted; "Hey, those shells don't come cheap, you idiot. They cost almost two weeks wages and over a days' worth of rations. If you're gonna use it, use it on something other than my roof. Or maybe I should demonstrate that point on _you_. And though it would greave me terribly to kill you, I think I could somehow muster up the will."

He stumbled over and grabbed the weapon out of the chimp's grasp. Tuskan raised a paw as if he were about to backhand the simian, but he didn't follow through. It was just a gesture to make his point stick in the ape's head.

"But Tusk …" the chimp replied, nervously trying to weasel back into his good graces. "I thought you were …uhhh" – a moment of indecision had popped into the simian's head as he chose his next words very carefully. Tuskan never lost and further, it wasn't wise to point out any details where he hadn't faired so well either. Especially while he was drunk …which was always… so he walked the statement back with; "Umm, I just wanted to help, was all"

He caught an earful of colorful metaphors, along with a few threats and several insults, but that he could live with. Tuskan was no one to be trifled with. He'd bullied and brawled his way through life ever since he was a cub. He'd never really lost at much of anything, but Urko on the other hand had lost quite a bit. Thus the General had a much more polished experience with life overall. He was patient, trained, and he thought things through. While Tuskan was busy discussing his financial woes and ranting about mock funeral arrangement for his employee, Urko was acting.

As the sound of the old Toyota truck, outside, fired up, he stood, holding a grenade. He flung a small piece of the broken table off the ape's back, to draw back his attention. "Hey _Tusk_! Recognize this? Unless you want them to bury you right next to him you'd better step back. And you can lower that shotgun …nice and easy"

The other soldiers all had their rifles out and pointed in a 360 degree radius. And it was obvious to everyone that they now held the advantage.

Tuskan did indeed recognize the object. But inside he was more intrigued at their firepower. Only a Chieftain or his First Spear had armaments like these. A grenade was rare to begin with but no one would ever sell one and, further if they did, the price would be outrageous. And the rifles … very few people possessed such things, but these looked as if they'd been manufactured today. He began to reply, but Urko made a motion as if he were about to let the object fall where they stood. His leg and side were throbbing and he was done dancing with this colossus.

"This is over. We're leaving". He glanced at Barlow and whispered. "Get 'em out of here …now. It looks like Duncan has that old hunk of rubbish running". Next he turned to a Separatist soldier and told him to grab a few bags of food sitting by the door.

Colonel Barlow hurried them out the exit. Urko looked up and concluded with; "Thanks for the truck. I can't say it hasn't been a pleasure. No one had better come out after us or they'll wish they hadn't"

"You …wait. Hear me out" Tuskan stated moving towards Urko. He stood between him and the door. It was a foolishly bold gesture. Both arms were up high and his body language appeared neutral. "You get in that truck and every one of you will be dead before you get twenty miles."

That made the General take pause. He studied the ape trying to figure out if this was just a ruse. "Why the sudden concern for my welfare?" Urko asked impatiently.

"Five minutes" Tusk replied. "You give me five minutes and if you don't like what you hear, you can take that vehicle and head out. But like I said, you'll be heading right to your graves. And that truck will be right back here by morning."

**North American Continent – UTR, Ocala Intelligence Compound. **

Galen's heart was pumping like an old Texas oil rig, hauling black crude out of the earth. He'd planned it methodically in his head and spent days reworking and refining it, but playing it out in person was a whole new ball game. He just wasn't a good spy. He flinched at the footsteps that suddenly echoed his way. The chimp took in a deep breath, got flat against the wall. He nervously ran his thumb across the small device he was holding. _Here we go_, he mumbled deep inside his head.

The isometric imager didn't make a sound as it created the small holo-illusion. Light refracted off of Galen and projected a natural curvature in the architecture of the hallway. In essence, he'd fashioned a holographic simulation of the wall he was against. It stretched out a couple of feet to his front and side. But the ape needed to remain perfectly still. The image itself was stable but it did not muffle sound. And because the dimensions were tight, any sudden movement could degrade the replication, revealing his attempted subterfuge.

The man walked down the hallway, and as bad luck would have it, he stopped very close to where Galen was hiding. The chimp mustered up as much courage as he could. He carefully flicked his opposite wrist and let the small blade drop gracefully into his paw. Once again, he rubbed his thumb profusely on the pad, as his adrenalin rose. This was too critical of a mission. He had to act now.

But the ape hesitated as something in his mind whispered _No, this isn't right_. Galen had killed twice before. Once when he was very young but that had been war. A foolish confrontation where he'd lost his brothers, yet he'd killed none the less. The other incident was purely self-defense. He'd been the victim of an attempted ambush during a trade run with the UTR. Some of the outer regions weren't safe and bandits had tried to steal their supplies. Galen and his party overwhelmed the assailants and he'd shot one who'd tried charging him with a knife …funny, he thought, they were human too. That had fed into the stereotypes he'd been taught most of his adult life; man was a violent savage. After all, what else was he? A born killer, Zaius always claimed.

But this …this was deliberate murder. This man had done nothing but cross his path by chance. His mind began to rationalize; but he was still _the enemy_, right? After all if the situation were reversed this beast would slaughter him without a thought. What human wouldn't? And what was the life of one weak animal in the grand scheme of things? He tightened his grip on the dagger and poised himself. He had to strike now while he held the upper hand. Sweat began to bead on his brow. He composed himself, took in a deep breath and was about to go through with it? But just then, the man spoke.

"Oh brother, no wonder I don't recognize anything. I made a wrong turn. Operations is on corridor three." With that he huffed and walked off in a hurried pace.

That was followed by an immense exhale from Galen. The chimp looked down at his shaking paws and tried to push the whole experience deep inside. "Better to forget the whole thing", he muttered quietly.

After the man was well out of sight, the chimp stashed the knife. He worked his way down the corridor to where the mainframe COM systems were. "There you are." He said briskly as he read the label on the door. But that's when he noticed it; a semi-sweet burning smell. And the aroma was distinct. _Bio-gel_, his mind echoed identifying the odor.

"It can't be." He whispered quietly. He looked back down the hallway. The image of the wall was still there. He'd walked off and never even noticed.

It had taken weeks to work out the details. The encryption programs were flawless and had been tested on some of the minor systems. He'd successfully tapped into the environmental controls days earlier; just as a test. He'd raised the temperature exactly three degrees and then, after an hour or two, he dropped it by three. No one caught it, no one noticed. After that he'd bumped up against the lighting and emergency hydraulic valves. That system was monitored but he'd gotten away with disabling the pressure control units for a few minor seconds. His software had run a loop that had the security routines constantly pinging the only control unit he'd left active.

In all of the recent exhilaration with the human, he'd executed those routines. His excessive thumb tapping, triggered the software. But it had also seized the device.

"Oh no. Three minutes, twelve seconds." He echoed looking at the timer.

…What happened next was precise and sudden. Parts of the building shook and the compression caused the door Galen was adjacent to burst off its hinges. It barely missed the simian that was now scrambling, uselessly, for any kind of cover. The floor under him and part of the ceiling above collapsed. The chimp tumbled, then fell and …

***** The following day **

"This one's coming round." The nurse said as Galen slowly opened his eyes. He was in… a … a …He hesitated and tiled his head to see just where he was. The ape was hooked up to several different devices pumping oxygen and other medications into his system. _A hospital, but how_, his mind asked. Then, like a flood, it came rushing in. "The building," he mumbled.

"Yes, and you're one of the lucky ones" the nurse replied as she adjusted the meds being pushed into his body. "For the most part, you just have a few bruised ribs and a broken leg. The bump to your head is minor and the swelling has dropped. You have a few scrapes, etcetera, but you're going to be fine."

"A miracle" Galen said, taking a better look at his surroundings. "But I fell …."

"No" the doctor who'd just walked up stated with an interruption. "Not a miracle. You can thank the good Major over there. He pulled you and several others to safety. But he took a beating in the process. With you being an ape and him a human, he was forced to improvise, but the flames and gases were too much."

"I'll have to thank him" Galen replied, with a sleepy voice.

"You may never get the chance." The doctor said as he finished logging Galen's statistics. "He isn't going to last very long. I don't expect him to survive the night. But you can find his dossier on the local holo-net link. At least you'll be able to put a face with the man and maybe you can reach out to the family."

Galen was familiar with the interface and with the help of the nurse he found the human in question. _Major Peter Burke_, the ape silently read. "He's a pilot with the UTR Air Corps." But he froze when he saw the face. It was man in hall. The man he was going kill. The irony was so thick Galen was speechless.

**Frem settlement **

It had been almost two decades but the two astronauts who'd left their home in the 1980s and crash landed in Canada all those years back had finally reunited. It wasn't awkward, but it was certainly different. Tom March was old; or old looking anyway. The man was only in his mid-sixties but this world they'd landed in was hard and had taken its toll, physically. He was a lot thinner than he'd remembered. Jon Hayes gazed at the purple-blue streak on March's shoulder. It occurred while they were escaping Arum in order to stop the bleeding on a wound he'd taken from a musket shot. It looked horrific after all these years. But paled at the sight of the man he thought he'd left for dead so long ago.

"I still can't believe it's you Tom" Hayes stated for a third time as the two sat to eat.

"I can't believe you out rank me." March replied smiling. "And you Kutos …it's been a long a time."

"Yes Sir, it has indeed." The gorilla replied, placing a paw on the man's shoulder.

Miguel Santos didn't have much patience. However, he and March had been friends for a long time and he owed the man his life many times over. For that reason, he let the group catch up. But there was still a threat out there. The Pax, that ship that had fallen into their laps and possibly these Republic soldiers he'd captured. Until he was convinced otherwise he wasn't going to welcome them in with open arms. It was no coincidence that they'd shown up now. Like everyone else they wanted that ship.

The small talk went on over a few bites of dried meat and some bread, but once Miguel had reached his limit, he abruptly broken in. "General, I want to know exactly what information you have on the Pax and that vessel that crashed in their territory. I also want to know why you're here. And further I want …"

"Commander!" The ape cried as the door to the room swung open abruptly. "I apologize for barging in, Sir but I have news that can't wait."

Santos swung around to address the simian that had just entered. "It's ok Og. I know you wouldn't be here if I weren't important. What is it?"

The Frem, like most of the regions had a vast network of informants. Many were simply opportunists who traded information for food, weapons, or wealth. But the one Og spoke of was different. The person in question was an ape. One that Santos had showed a great deal of undeserving mercy to many years earlier. The ape had been in the employ of Tagus, leader of the Pax. He and Santos had a sorted history, but when Tagus and Rethor had a falling out, it had been Santos who'd given him quarter and saved his entire family. The gesture cemented a professional working relationship and had established level of trust between them. The two really didn't have much interaction, but when they did it was a serious matter.

"Miguel you know Reth as well as I do." March said, once Og had explained the importance of the disturbance. "If he made a special trip, in person, you can bet it's a matter of life or death."

"What's this about Tom?" Hayes asked but the Colonel put a hand and shook his head.

General Hayes took the hint and kept quiet as Santos gave a series of instructions to Og. The ape left the room and then brought in a dusty looking gorilla, dressed in rags with a leather vest on and a sack slung around his shoulder. He was big and was missing a tooth or two. Somehow it made the beast look more fearsome though.

"How about some of that old hooch you keep stashed away" Rethor asked as he walked into the room. 

The gorilla laid his bag on the table, pulled the leather straps loose, and hauled out a rifle. "…And just for the record, I'm keeping this. Someone has found some sort of pre-apocalyptic armaments. And this rifle just scratches the surface. There are two other aircraft out there, as well. They landed in Region Two and whoever they are; they tried to make a pact with Chief Luca. _The late,_ Chief Luca, I might add. He ended up dead in the double cross."

"Let me see that." March blurted out.

Rethor paused and reiterated his original statement about keeping the weapon for himself. But it was more for effect than lack of faith. If he hadn't trusted the Frem, he would have never brought this stuff here in the first place.

"Jon, look…" March said holding it up. "..I've been gone a long time, but this is definitely Separatist issue. They're more innovative than the models used on the DC raid. But the design and style are a dead giveaway."

"Yeah," Hayes added. "So, Rethor …or umm Reth is it? Can I ask how you came into possession of this rifle?"

The gorilla downed the whiskey, poured a second glass, and glanced at Santos. "Who's he?" he asked.

Santos didn't explain he simply said. "That's actually a very good question, Reth. Where did you get it?"

"We we're there when it happened." Rethor replied throwing back the next shot. "We trade food with the Malawi. When the skirmish took place we were simply in the right place at the right time. I plucked this piece off of one of the apes Luca's clan dropped, just before he bought it."

"General Urko." Hayes said. "They commandeered three old UTR air craft, Tom. We took one out but the other two made it to the Spanish mainland."

Rethor tilted his head. He didn't follow all of it but the name _Urko_ did jump out. He turned to Santos and asked. "So you know then, but how?"

"Have a seat Rethor" Miguel answered as he handed the ape another bottle. "Here, drink this. You'll probably need it. We have a lot to talk about."


	5. Bounding Forward

**Pax City – Quadrant 3, Prison Section. **

He wasn't ready, nor was he nearly healthy enough, but Colonel Alastair had to make his move soon. The prison itself was a joke. He'd broken out, easily, several times already. And if he had to, he could do it a dozen more. But as strong as he was, these animals were ten times that and his body was feeling the effects of their corporeal cross-examinations. In the beginning Tagus had gone moderately easy on him. Most humans in the Northern Regions were docile and easily intimidated. The tribal leader initially thought he could pressure the information out the man, despite his enhanced astuteness. But that had failed and wasted precious time. So the coerce talking quickly evolved into merciless beatings. If the carrot didn't work, the stick always would.

But the thing that had tipped Alastair over the edge was the killing of the human child. She couldn't have been any older than nine or ten years of age. She wouldn't speak …or maybe she couldn't… any attempts the RAF Colonel made at approaching her was responded to as if he were cornering a scared dog. Tagus put an arrow in her skull, right in front the man. He was promising to kill more unless he got what he wanted. Life meant little to these people and human life meant less than that. Tagus was desperate and had other issues influencing his harsh actions.

There had been two large raids from the neighboring region already. They'd been halted and Tagus even sent out a retaliatory force of his own. He'd ransacked and burned nearly twenty percent of their land, keying in on their farms and food stores. It would be some time before the Drake would be back, but they'd still be back nonetheless.

The _Vanguard_ was on lockdown and the apes were frantic to get inside. However, nothing Tagus or the Drake tried would ever get them within the vessel. Not now, not in fifty years. The reinforced titanium and hydraulic clamps were sealed tight and the lockdown variables were DNA encoded.

But the craft wasn't what was on the Warlord's mind at the moment. His warriors, supplies, and reserves had been severely depleted in the three skirmishes. In fact, they hadn't been skirmishes at all. These had been full assaults; an invasion and an offensive reprisal. The mysterious ship had every Region at the other's throat. It would only be a matter of time before one of the other Paramilitary leaders struck him just as hard and just as bad. And eventually he'd break.

Alastair had picked up on that too. One advantage he had was that most of the guards babbled on without any regard to the, _thoughtless human animal_, they'd caged. They'd given him steady intel and while the fighting had been going on, the Colonel used the time prudently. No one had plucked him out of his cell in weeks. And he finally had all of the pieces to construct his small signal device. Soon he hoped to turn the tide. The man had been salvaging for what seemed like forever. His initial outbreaks and recapture had been a deception. He had no plans of actual escape; at least not in the short term. Once the utensil was built, he'd need power to operate it. Thus he'd decided that the most expedient strategy was to stay put. As primitive as this society was, they still operated using a rudimentary form of electricity and various fossil fuels. Prehistoric yes, but he only needed to power his device for a few seconds. And that's all he'd get. The crude instrument could only send one burst, after that, it would overload and burn out.

*** Approximately 5 hours later – 0215 hours, local time **

Alastair carefully rolled over and worked his way to the door. He put an ear to it and confirmed that the guard was fast asleep. But he didn't need to go through the effort. The gorilla was snoring so loud, that the noise was echoing through half the countryside.

He pulled out the makeshift knife he'd salvaged and cut in at the top of his forearm. He removed the small microchip and worked it in with the other things he'd retrieved; metallic eating utensils, parts of a hand-held com device, two copper and one silver coin, and a few other oddities. It had taken hours to construct, given the restrictions of his surroundings and the necessary precision required, but he finally completed it. All he needed was to put the pieces in place, Next he situated the device on the floor and twisted some wires around the copper coins. The using the tip of the knife he carefully pricked the spot he'd just cut. He took a tiny drop of blood and dabbed it on the thin seal around the chip. That was necessary for the DNA authentication protocols. Once that was done he positioned the object, one last time, carefully where needed. Then he cautiously slid the silver coin between the chip's edge and the remaining wires.

"Here we go." He mumbled quietly to himself. Finally he exhales and in a relaxed firm tone he said. "Identify Nicholas Alastair; Alpha Zero One, compromised. General Order Zulu …send burst"

What transpired next was quick and subtle. So elusive that no one in the facility took any notice. The mechanism absorbed a wireless electric draw, directly from the closest energy source. That allowed the microchip to verify the DNA from the Colonel's blood. Using that in concert with the archaic communications equipment, it was able to transmit one quick com burst back to the _Vanguard's _internal communications sensor. The lights in the facility blinked slightly and the only damage was the quick 'pop' of the dimly lit bulb in the Colonel's room. The gadget seemed to burn out instantaneously, but its task had been accomplished; _General Order Zulu_ had been sent and received.

"Ok, Mate" Alastair muttered to his non-present jailor, Warlord Tagus. "It won't be long now until you and I take our relationship to a whole new bloody level."

*** Inside the HMS _Vanguard_ **

The dull dormant lights came to full power as the internal CIS (Combat Intelligence System) received the codes and initiated its preprogramed operational directives. The three cryochambers illuminated and the revival protocols kicked in. The soldiers inside slowly began to thaw from their long deep sleep.

***** Frem Settlement**

General Hayes listened as Tom filled in the gaps as best as he could.

"I was in one of the lead elements when the chemical weapons struck. We took a direct hit, from the volley. I watched as several died from the blast alone …remember Brix? He was always hustling the younger recruits out of their pay… One minute he was there, the next minute he was in pieces. Dumb luck; the round hit him right where he stood. I've never lost that picture"

"Humph…" Hayes paused as the image of the man came to mind, "I do remember him. He took a week's pay from Sergeant Grayson, in a poker game, once. I never heard the end of it. Grayson griped about that for weeks. Thought he'd been cheated…"

"Yeah, Brix had that effect on people. But he was topnotch with a sniper rifle. It's why I took him along" March shook his head and continued after a second or two had passed. "Anyway, others were just too close when the chems hit. They never stood a chance either. The ones, who were able, scattered. I can't recall which way I ran, but I don't think I ever moved that fast in my entire life. That in itself wasn't what saved me though. I managed to reach an old cave, with a few of the others and we ventured in as far as we could. But to escape the gas entirely, we had to move deeper and deeper inside. Eventually we got lost. We wondered for at least a day, maybe more; encountering clashes with rats and some wolves, until we finally found our way out."

"Tom, why didn't you signal? …All these years, stuck in this nightmare…" Hayes wondered.

"We tried Jon, but all our com equipment was short range and for all we knew you were just as dead as the others." March answered. "Besides where we'd come out was dry, barren, and void of any life. The ground was ash and the vegetation was poison. We had no idea where we even were. When we landed I had four platoons of men and apes, but by the time I reached this point I only had seven left. Eight, if you include me. That was just five men and three simians. And we had less than a week's worth of rations. Ultimately our group ventured on and discovered signs of life. And, in the end, we encountered the primitive human savages in the North. That was when I crossed paths with Miguel and his band of marauders. They'd just escaped their simian masters and were out looking for weapons and food."

"Obviously we made it or you and I wouldn't be here talking about it." March said in conclusion. "Rogers, Peppers, and Genet are all here too. Genet runs the operations on our eastern flank. That's actually who spotted your balloon. Corporal Aspen died, four years ago from some sort of illness, I'm guessing cancer. There was no way of telling, but he shriveled up to about sixty pounds and he went quickly. Sims, Kytel, and Ferg bought it early when it all hit fan. The first year and a half was utterly vicious."

"So what about all of this?" Hayes asked. "How did you end up here and second in command to Santos. Why do call yourselves the Frem?"

"The name, Frem, is a slang term. Or it initially was." March explained. "Let me fill in the holes, Jonny. Frem is just jargon for, _Free Men_. The northern humans could barely articulate the term. Most are borderline Neanderthal. When they spoke, or more like grunted, it came out as; _Frem._ And after some time it just stuck."

Hayes huffed and shook his head "It's a miracle you've lasted this long. I wish I'd known."

"Forget Jon. How could you have? I put it to rest long ago." He indicated directly. "But it's no miracle. I suddenly found myself feeling déjà vu, when it all began. It was like facing that lunatic Perfect who'd chased us through Canada and half of the U.S. Long and the short of it is that Santos and I gathered as many men ...and apes… as we could; any who simply wanted to survive in freedom and safety. We used Republic technology and firepower to recover some old weapons in what they call the Wetlands; A place full of swamps, disease, and snakes. It took time and bloodshed, but we carved out our piece of the pie. We killed and conquered using Miguel's knowledge of the terrain and culture and the remaining equipment and supplies we had. What we couldn't buy, we took. Those who wouldn't negotiate were eliminated. We stole chemical weapons, built bombs, and played a very violent part in the last few years of history. For now, we basically live in peace with our neighbors. Or more like tolerance, under a basic philosophy of mutually assured destruction. We've made it abundantly clear that if you screw with us, it will be the last thing you do. And they've pretty much stated the same. We're the big boys on the block as far as modernization and tech goes, but our numbers are half what the other Regions are. Were surrounded by enemies and all of the other areas are run by apes. We do trade with the other Regions, due to the large supply of fresh water in our borders. It's allowed hostilities to soften some but most humans are simply tolerated. But you won't find many at all, outside these borders and when you do they're usually enslaved. The farther north you go the more 'human' it becomes but it's a savage wasteland."

Santos broke in with his customary edginess. "Ok gentlemen, Colonel March has filled us in on the last decade and half of his life, so why don't you bring us up to speed on yours. What are your plans? You're packing some pretty high-tech gear. You can see how delicate the peace is. If you and your clan go traipsing through the countryside, with guns blazing, you'll undo in seconds what took us years to build."

The man hadn't let up on Hayes since they'd arrived. He was tolerant but not very trusting. He'd limited their access and for the most part had kept Hayes and the entire group isolated from the general populace. It was Kutos who'd picked up on that. He felt more like a visiting dignitary from a less than trustworthy province, than an ally who'd just reunited with a lost countryman. But Hayes didn't seem to care one way or the other. The Frem were the only friendly people on this side of the world and he was inclined to simply take what he could get.

"Ok Commander" Hayes answered directly. " Fair enough. I have orders to get to that ship and secure it before the Separatists do. If it can't be captured, I'm to destroy it. It's beyond anything we have and it's carrying a nuclear payload. But there's more and rather than explain it, I'll simply show you."

The UTR General reached into the leather sack he was carrying. He pulled an e-pad out of a pocket inside and laid it flat on the table. Next he spoke to it. "Open File; SOS and play Voice-Record One, One"

Santos felt an uncomfortable twinge inside as looked at the technology before him. But when the device answered, his uneasiness turned to amazement; both with the technology and what he heard;

SSSSsss … _This sssss issss Nich –sss- olas Alastair; Colonel, ... sssss … British Royal ssssArmy. I'm in command of the HMS Vang-ssss... We left port on April 7__th__, 2045. This is an automated SOS for Major Tom March and Captain Jon Hayes. The NATO Alliance received your CIS burst regarding: Stage Delta. I'm here on a search and rescue mission. We are to retrieve you and use whatever force is necessary to neutralize the ape threat; including a nuclear option. We've been propelled into the planet's gravitational draw. Sensors and navigation are off line… SSSS ….but the AI auto-piloting software is sssss …engaged. I've set the sssss sub sssspace beacon to transmit on 09917 by 3467 ssss …_

"Stage Delta … Nuclear option?" March echoed in confusion. "You mean our message reached home …or it reached somewhere anyway? What more do you know Johnny? We left in 1985; this communication is from 2045. I can verify that the ship is indeed English. I've seen it up close and we even have photos. 2045, it doesn't add up"

"I honestly don't know what to make of it Tom." Hayes replied in honesty. "If the pilot is alive he's some kind of superman. The satellite surveillance showed him cutting a gorilla in two with a sword and then splitting the skull of another, shortly after. And from the VID we have, you'd think he's been doing it his whole life. But I was as floored as you were when I heard it. At the time, I didn't even care. As far as I'm concerned the Republic is my home. I have no reason to leave my family and hike all over Europe. Besides I'm too old for field duty. In fact, I even told Grazot we should simply use the ODN and blast that ship from here to hell. However one of our spy _birds_ also picked you up on the facial recognition software and that ship has scrambled our satellite interfaces. Most are offline. The ODN included. That changed things."

Hayes stopped and looked at Santos before he went on, "But I can tell you this too Miguel. As much as I want to get back to my wife and kids, if Urko gets to that ship before I do there isn't going to be much of anything to get back to. And your little paradise of peace here is going to be a desert, with a river of human blood running through it. We have to act, Commander, and we're going to need your help doing it."

***** The Outlands - Old Europe**

General Urko's former nuisance was quickly becoming his best friend. Tuskan had transformed from a massive, pain in the neck hoodlum, to his greatest source of intelligence. The gorilla had provided maps, food, barter, passage, and through his vast network of contacts, Urko now knew exactly where the ship was located and what obstacles stood in his path.

"There." Tusk said, placing a finger on the map and then tracing a path. "That's where we enter and that's the best route to take. It's a bit longer, but if stealth is what you want, that's your safest bet."

Colonel Barlow, who was standing next to Urko, ignored the stale smell of liquor on the ape's breath as he shifted himself and the map, slightly upwind. He pointed to another spot and asked a question. "If I read this diagram right, it's also highly vegetated here and it even looks to be more direct. Why not use this route instead?"

"It's the same reason I gave about stealing the truck; you wouldn't even make it fifty meters. The area is rigged with traps, it's highly monitored, and unless you're an official trader, you'd be cut to pieces once spotted. The Drake aren't all that evolved, but their numbers are high and their boarders are reinforced and tightly secure. They don't have the pre-apocalyptics, like the Frem and Pax do." He paused and scratched the back of his neck. Then he leaned in and went on. "…And the Pax, that's another issue all in itself. They have that poison gas stockpile and they're warriors are among the best in the land."

"That's what I'm hoping for." Barlow answered half joking. "We have the firepower and the high-tech advantage. With the resources you say you can provide, we should be able handle them just fine."

The Colonel turned his attention to Urko and continued, "It's the biological weapons that concern me General. We don't have chemical suits or gasmasks. If they launch at us from a distance, we're finished."

"Yeah" Urko replied rubbing his head in thought. "But what of we got in too close? Tuskan, this Tagus you spoke of. What kind of simian is he? Would he use this stuff within his own boarders?"

"Honestly General Urko, it's hard to say." Tusk replied. "Some of them attempted a coup a few years back. He held off then but the rebellion didn't last too long. He killed them all but never used any toxins"

"Ok," Urko responded with a nod. "That tells me a little. He's primitive, but not a fanatic. Hard to say what he'll do when we hit though. The prize this time might simply be too big."

The conversation was interrupted by the entrance of a Separatist Corporal. "Please pardon, the disturbance Sir, chow's ready." The ape ducked out just as quickly as he'd popped in.

"Let's eat" Tusk indicated rubbing his belly and then slapping Barlow on the back. "Food and females, that's the life for me, eh Colonel?" He too didn't wait for a reply as he followed the Corporal, out the tent door, and towards the makeshift mess hall.

Barlow stiffened his back, twisted slightly, and turned to Urko. "Do you trust him Sir?"

"Actually I do." The General replied. "He's a hundred present, _what you see is what you get_. His whole demeanor is a straight forward and direct. He perceives himself as stagnated by running that meager outpost. And he sees us as his passage off that sinking ship. It's why I gave him my rifle. Look at the intel he's provided. He wants power and if he helps us get that ship, I'll see that he's king of this rock before we leave. Once we genocide the Republic, the Simian Council will want to expand. We'll need an ally in the region."

*** A few hours later

As the undersized band of Separatists settled in for the night, one of the ape soldiers, on guard, signaled the alert. The small rumbling noise was getting louder and the faint light it reflected was getting brighter.

The internal communications picked up the signal on wide band; "_Constellation_, this is _Little Dipper_, Solar flare; I say again, Solar flare, out." The indicators were distinct; _Solar_, meant approaching from the South and _flare_, meant it was coming in fast.

Soldiers began to scramble and take up position. They lined up in a staggered semi circle on the high ground. As the gorilla Captain was positioning the apes, Tuskan came out chewing on a piece of rabbit they'd caught earlier along with the other game. Without paying attention he stumbled south, heading directly towards the approaching vehicle.

"Hey what are you doing?" One of the apes asked grabbing at him. Tuskan shoved the primate aside by simple reflex. The soldier was too anxious to default to the embarrassment he'd have felt under normal circumstances. He stuck his leg out and tripped the lumbering gorilla. "Get down, you moron. Are you deaf? We have in bound hostiles."

By this time Urko and Colonel Barlow had made their way out. Tusk didn't answer the soldier, but he turned to Urko and said. "By the merciful Lord above ...You all are wound way too tight... He's one of mine and we are well within the Clan Gult border. He's bringing the supplies and information you asked for."

As Barlow gave the command to stand-down, Urko extended an arm, to help the ape up. "You and I need to have a serious talk on protocol. When were you going to fill me in on that little fact, exactly?"

After all of the commotion settled down, and the vehicle was confirmed to be one of Tuscan's trucks, the driver gave some interesting information that sparked an idea in Urko's mind.

"…So this Drake sect and the Pax are fighting?" The Separatist General asked rhetorically. "That's perfect. They'll be desperate for provisions. Tusk, if we take the route Barlow suggested earlier, how do we go about that, officially? I mean, how do we obtain passage as legitimate supply traders?"

"I can arrange it, but it will be costly. First we'll need cargo - Stuff that they require – like food and seed. Next you may have to use some of your pre-apocalyptics as barter. Finally, you need to ditch those clothes and blend in better. You look like some sort of futuristic war band, out for blood." Tusk paused with that and then got more specific. "But really all it will take is a series of simple bribes and kickbacks up front. If we obtain a trade scroll, we can make it through most of the checkpoints. Here's my fear tough. If anyone discovers the advanced armaments you have they'll kill is all and take them without hesitation. We'll be thoroughly searched once we get within the inner villages. You can't even carry a crossbow in their cities"

"You let me worry about that." Urko said still scheming. "Colonel, look through our supplies, see what we can spare. Start with any gold or silver we might have. Then with what we stripped off the UTR vessels; no rifles, pistols, or ammo of any type is to be considered though. See if there's some kind of holo-tech or e-pads we can dump. And send for Duncan, I'll need his skills for this."

Barlow nodded and walked off. Urko looked over at Tusk and went on. "Help Colonel Barlow figure out what will fetch us the best price and make the necessary arrangements. See if you can dig up clothes for us too. And leave one of your vehicles here. I have an idea on we can conceal our true intentions. How long will all this take to arrange?"

"You give me the necessary barter and in three days I'll have what we need." The ape said handing Urko his flask of homemade brew.

"Why not." The Separatist General said. "Cheers" he added as he downed the liquid in a big gulp. "We'll need every ape you've got too."


End file.
